National Feature

The Regional Workforce Alliance (RWA) of Southeastern Wisconsin WIRED Initiative is another region connecting with Purdue's Center for Regional Development to implement the Open Source model of Economic Development to build regional prosperity. Learn more: download a presentation by Julia Taylor, President, Greater Milwaukee Committee; Partner Milwaukee 7; Chair, Regional Workforce Alliance (RWA).

The RWA / WIRED Initiative will transform key elements of the workforce system in order to meet the needs of the export driver industries identified by the Milwaukee 7 and their related industry councils. The RWA / WIRED region is planning three key events in response to the Workforce Innovation Fund of $2.5 million that will be announced in March 2008. This fund will be structured to make investments in innovative projects that will begin transforming the workforce, economic development and education systems.

By participating in a regional Strategic Doing process RWA / WIRED leaders will develop an OSED Dashboard of a framework, strategy map, strategic outcomes, and metrics to build alignment throughout their regions. The simple metrics and regular progress reports generated by the OSED Dashboard will help people understand where they are and where they are going...

For the rest of the story, Midtown Brews updates, and the I-Open Education Workshop schedule click through to I-Open News online for this week's complete report of Open Source Economic Development in,

• Regions
• Community Development
• Building Networks
• Research
• Enterprise Development
• Education Workshops, Retreats, Certification

I-Open News online is located at NEO Connects, a new and emerging community space for building networks, dialogue, and knowledge for a prosperous and sustainable Northeast Ohio.

Featured Testimonial

As Midtown Brews host, Webtego has strengthened and built new connections, enhanced our company's visibility, and positively affected new business opportunities. Open conversations help small to medium businesses meet the challenges we face in 2008 and beyond.

- Jeff Friedman, Owner, Webtego

The I-Open Team

Ed Morrison, Susan Altshuler, Betsey Merkel, and Dennis Coughlin

The Institute for Open Economic Networks (I-Open) is a not for profit organization serving economic development practitioners and professionals. I-Open develops and deploys process, tools and practices for Open Source Economic Development, a method to build open innovation networks to accelerate exponential growth in communities and regions.

Mailing address: The Institute for Open Economic Networks (I-Open) - Cleveland Midtown Innovation Center - 4415 Euclid Ave., 2nd Fl. - Cleveland, OH 44103 USA - E-mail: info@i-open.org - Website: http://www.i-open.org